Musipedia Of Metal

Reviews: Enthroned, Blood Red Throne, Kakihara, BILA (Rick Eaglestone, Matt Bladen, Cherie Curtis & Spike)

Enthroned - Ashspawn (Season Of Mist) [Rick Eaglestone]

Enthroned have been absolutely smashing faces in the underground since 1993, and with Ashspawn, they've delivered what might just be their most ferocious statement yet.

Enthroned have long been standard-bearers for the Belgian black metal scene, standing proudly alongside the likes of Ancient Rites and Emptiness. While their Scandinavian counterparts often get the lion's share of attention, Belgium's contribution to the genre has been consistently overlooked, which is criminal when you've got bands like this churning out absolute bangers year after year.

Ashspawn arrives with the kind of violent intent that immediately sets it apart and from the moment the opening track detonates, you're thrust into a maelstrom of blast beats, serrated riffing, and vocals that sound like they're being torn from the depths of some unholy abyss. This is black metal played with conviction and malice, the way it bloody well should be.

Producer Phorgath has done an outstanding job capturing the band's live energy while maintaining that essential underground aesthetic which is heavy as hell. The man's range is genuinely impressive, shifting from guttural growls to piercing shrieks with the kind of ease that only comes from decades of experience. There is a theatricality to his delivery that never tips into parody, which is a fine line to walk in this genre. When he unleashes those tortured screams, you absolutely believe every syllable.

The riffing across Ashspawn is where Enthroned truly flex their muscles. These aren't your standard tremolo-picked affairs, though there's plenty of that when needed. No, Enthroned have always had a knack for injecting genuine groove into their blackened assault, and that skill is on full display here. There are moments where the guitars lock into these absolutely devastating mid-paced sections that will have you wind milling like a teenager at their first metal show. Then, without warning, they will launch into full-throttle blasting that threatens to peel the skin from your skull.

The middle section of the album is particularly strong. Without descending into specific track-by-track analysis I'll say that the flow from track four through seven is absolutely seamless. The band demonstrate remarkable restraint in places, allowing certain passages to simmer before bringing the hammer down.

The atmospheric elements deserve recognition as well. While Enthroned have never been ones for lengthy ambient interludes or orchestral bombast, there are subtle layers throughout Ashspawn that add genuine depth. Whether it's a dissonant guitar line lurking beneath the chaos or the occasional eerie sample, these touches enhance the album's dark atmosphere without ever overwhelming the core sound.

Drummer Menthor (yes, they all have pseudonyms, because this is black metal and that's just how we roll) puts in an absolutely stellar performance. The man's a machine, churning out blast beats with the precision of a Swiss watch manufacturer, yet he's got the chops to throw in creative fills and tempo changes that keep things interesting. The drum sound itself is gloriously organic – real skins being properly battered, not some triggered nonsense that sounds like a drum machine having a seizure.

The bass work from Neraath provides a solid foundation throughout, and crucially, you can actually hear it in the mix. Too many metal albums relegate the bass to an afterthought, but here it adds genuine heft to the proceedings.

Lyrically, Enthroned continue to explore the darker aspects of existence with the kind of poetic intensity you would expect from a band of their pedigree. Without reproducing specific lines, I can say the themes revolve around spiritual corruption, existential darkness, and the usual occult subject matter, all delivered with genuine conviction rather than teenager-in-their-bedroom shock value. This is philosophical darkness rendered through a black metal lens, and it works brilliantly.

The album's pacing is near-perfect across its runtime. At no point does it drag or feel padded, and by the time the final track fades out, you're left genuinely satisfied yet immediately wanting to hit play again that's the mark of quality songwriting – creating something that feels complete while simultaneously leaving you hungry for more.

Ashspawn is a triumph. It's raw, brutal, and remarkably well-crafted. Enthroned have proven once again why they're one of the genre's most reliable and devastating acts. This is top-tier black metal executed by masters of the craft, and it deserves every bit of praise coming its way.

A Masterclass in Belgian Black Metal Savagery. 7/10

Blood Red Throne - Siltskin (Soulseller Records) [Matt Bladen]

With almost 30 years of noise behind them Blood Red Throne have have been flying the flag for Norwegian death metal for a long time now. In a country where black metal is probably the genre you think about, the band are a bludgeoning death metal machine and show no signs of slowing down.

If anything Siltskin is their fastest, heaviest record yet with more focus on the melodic side as well to counteract the mechanical battery shown by tracks such as Husk In The Grain which just pulverizes. On These Bones meanwhile is more like the BRT of old as Marrow Of The Earth builds the atmosphere with an intro that slowly but surely unleashes hell in that OSDM way of being a brutal crush.

Despite being relatively new to the band vocalist Sindre Wathne Johnsen really brings a broad style to things with bowel shaking growls and black metal screams, however it's not just him that makes this record grab you by the throat from the first track, it's the whole package, that Blood Red Throne off here. From the leads/solos and riffs still sculpted by founding member Daniel Olaisen alongside Ivan Gujic, to the inhuman drumming of Freddy Bolsø and the technically bass from Stian Gundersen who adds those finger style flourishes to increase the prog quota.

Reviews: Stone Nomads, Skogskult, Now Or Never, Myth Carver (Matt Bladen)

Stone Nomads - Empires Of Stone (Ripple Music)

Stone Nomads hit a sweet spot with their doom laden riffs.

Reviews: Treat, Danko Jones, Lynch Mob, Cassidy Paris (Matt Bladen & Rich Piva)

Treat - The Wild Card (Frontiers Music) [Matt Bladen]

Treat are Swedish rock legends, after forming in the 80's, they took a hiatus and then returned in 2006 and since then they've been kicking out stadium anthems since then, cementing their place as Swedish rock veterans that should be spoken about in the same breath as Europe.

The Wild Card is their fifth album since reforming and with the line up that's pretty much been the same since then. So a seasoned rock band playing the melodic hard rock, wrapped up in polished production there's no chance of there being anything out of the ordinary on The Wild Card despite it's name.

However this isn't detrimental to the record as it's packed with the melodic rock you will be expecting, in fact it's got all the facets the band have had their entire career as this is a record with a structure to it, beginning in the 80's and that higher energy style they shift into the ballad heavy 90's before moving to their contemporary style.

Treat have said that they are trying to go full circle here, showcasing their entire career in one record and it pays off brilliantly as 1985 is a joyous throwback, while Mad Honey is heavier strut and One Minute closes the record with the band Treat are today.

A career spanning record from these veterans, showing that Treat still have a few goodies up their sleeve. 8/10

Danko Jones - Leo Rising (Perception) [Rich Piva]

Danko Jones has been around for what seems forever. The Canadian trio have been rocking their heavy blues punk rock for almost 30 years now, and have dropped 12 albums and a bunch of other stuff, including their new one, Leo Rising, which continues their string of high energy, fun but serious, heavy ass rock and roll records.

The opener, What You Need, is a straight up punk ripper. Punk, but also a band that understands rock and roll; leather, denim, and whatnot, combined together nicely. Diamond In The Rough shows that Danko and crew have some sunset strip records in their collection for sure. You can like SNFU and Van Halen at the same time. 

Reviews: The Cyclist Conspiracy, male//gaze, Godeater, Devilhusk (Matt Bladen)

The Cyclist Conspiracy - Back To Hermetics And Martial Arts Vol 1 (Subsound Records)

There aren't too many instances when you come across a properly psychedelic record but my, my if you want some, mind expanding, transcendental, exploration look no further than the new record from Serbian band. Much like Greek band Villagers Of Ioannina City, The Cyclist Conspiracy put out repeating psych rock that features Balkan instruments and World Music influences.

Subsound Records has become a bit of home for the more mystical reaches of the stoner/doom/psych spectrum and The Cyclist Conspiracy do a lot to keep their place out on the fringes in the rarefied air of musical enlightenment. A band that expands from four members to ten, there's a loose collaborative feeling to this whole record, desert rock that expands from the Balkan mountains to the dunes of North Africa and the scorched lands of the Middle East.

Each track on Back To Hermetics And Martial Arts Vol 1 is an album of musically dense, spiritually esoteric, movie themes inspired by composer's such as Morricone (Estrella Mariana), Vangelis (Calice Dei Fantasmi), John Barry (Penga) and Lalo Schifrin (Soften Our Evil Hearts) but also Greek Rebetiko (The Verdant One) and Tibetan chanting (The Throat Ancestors).

Nine instrumental journeys through world music driven by one man's creative vision and a host of musical companions. Back To Hermetics And Martial Arts Vol 1 by The Cyclist Conspiracy is one of the most interesting records I've heard this year. 9/10

male//gaze - Too Late Now (Self Released)

From the Pacific Northwest, Too Late Now is the new EP from 'extreme pop' band male//gaze. This EP they say is about “coming to terms" lyrics exploring memory, loss and self-acceptance, six songs that are about coming to terms with last trauma and coming out the other side.

Fusing hardcore with synth pop, Too Late Now builds from the haunting Falling then explodes into Get Well, the propulsive electronics driving the emotion, as the vocals scream for catharsis. The band have released a full length album, an EP and singles, touring across their region with a unique sound that provides moments of aggressive clarity and melodic vulnerability.

Slaymaxxing for instance sees throttling hardcore spiked with bubblegum pop, it's furious but shifts into the woozy shoegazing of Speak (For Me), Ash's dreamy vocals often joined by Hank's for a harmonious unity. Hank is joined on guitars by Ray, their reverbed chords and fits of distortion make for the duality felt in this record.

The rhythm section of Gavin (bass) and Spencer (drums), control the constant shifts of motion on the EP, the closing impetus of Returning giving you that last gut punch of frenzied brand of extreme pop. male//gaze are a band formed to deal with a breakdown of a relationship but have gone on to inspire recovery and rediscovery of oneself. Too Late Now? Hardly, there's plenty more to come from male//gaze. 8/10

Godeater - Alvorecer EP (Self Released)

From their destructive deathcore debut, through their more progressive introspective second album, Scottish band Godeater have been redefining themselves since 2016. With songs about ecology and nature their extreme metal soundtrack pushes boundaries with what deathcore is, adding melodeath, prog and symphonics to it. Check out the atmospheric Soil And Steel for something different.

Adding ambient atmospheres that bring emotion and melody to counteract the bludgeoning riffs and harsh vocals. The recent addition of Jamie Harrison as a vocalist gives them and new lease of life on this EP. From his aggressive growls and strong cleans, meaning that Alvorecer EP is an almost restart which will reintroduce their musical force to audiences.

Godeater ship out the mix and master to Studio Friedman to make the sonics razor sharp, meaning that Ross Began and Andrew Macdonald's guitars have all the harmonic melodies, ferocious riffs and technical solos of the Gothenburg scene. They don't escape their deathcore roots though on breakdowns heard on The Enveloping Grey.

Alvorecer is Godeater reclaiming their place in the UK metal scene, visceral, technical and anthemic, this is the future of heavy music. 8/10

Reviews: Stellar Circuits, Downswing, Avralize, Smash Into Pieces (Matt Bladen)

Stellar Circuits - Phantom :: Phoenix (Nuclear Blast Records)

Stellar Circuits 2023 album Sight To Sound came via Nuclear Blast and it brought their modern progressive metal to a much wider audience, gaining them a following and critical acclaim. Inspired by the Djent originators with the passion of post-hardcore and the atmospheric sound of post metal/rock, they captured what modern prog metal is about currently, blending genres together with a technical proficiency and strong emotional moments.

On the back of their last album they have gained a much wider following so with this record they'll be trying impress again and as soon as you press play you're once again in the realm of Stellar Circuits, charged with emotion and technical skills of the highest level. There's no huge that shifts the approach just a more refined take, drawing from a wider pool of inspiration, on a track such as Elegant Illusion there's an influence of Deftones while something like Bury The Ashes increases the aggression towards the heavy end.

Both Corridor and Gloria come from the songbook of Coheed & Cambria and Leprous, the bass driven prog of Same Page brings that mix of emotion, technical and melody I referred to earlier. Armed with more melodies in these new songs and stronger resolve to climb up the rankings of prog metal, Stellar Circuits, are hard wired for success with album three. 8/10

Downswing - And Everything Was Dark (MNRK Heavy)

Oof *makes and stank face* Albany New York band Downswing embrace darkness on their new album And Everything Was Dark. A record about endurance and being honest in the face of crisis, Downswing have tightened every nut and bolt in their machine to produce the most confident, visceral and emotional music of their career.

Having been curating their legacy since 2018, every record gets louder and broader, the breakdowns crush, the vocals are expelled with rage and the music gets more sonically expansive. For example tracks such as Drowned Out or the ferocious Thanks For Nothing skilfully balances the heavier side of Downswing with their angst filled melodic side.

The themes of addiction, self-destruction and letting go are all explored on this record, the overarching theme being losing someone you love, this esoteric influence allowing them to adapt their songwriting to playing the music they want to. Resistant of trends or shifts in taste, Downswing want to be authentic to their ideals and their creative vision, carefully constructing the songs on this album to tell stories rather than just showing off their skills.

And Everything Was Dark is an album about death and whole there is a lot of anger and regret here but it's a record about working through this and coming out the other side. Downswing define their next chapter with this record. 8/10

Avralize - Liminal (Arising Empire)

You may thing you have the wrong album when you first press play on Liminal from "Germany’s next metalcore powerhouse" as Medicine begins with a bit of 90's European dance music but it's all part of the eclectic style of Avralize, quickly following up their 2024 debut Freaks with this second full length they make their way further down the 'cyber-metalcore' route inspired by the likes of Unprocessed and Northlane.

Electronics play a huge part in what they do as do those anthemic clean vocals, it's a real modern hybrid sound with DnB, dance and synth wave all featuring heavily, giving many of these tracks such as Wanderlust, the sound of videogame soundtrack or maybe Stranger Things as Open Spaces leads into the breathy ballad Close To You, the pop side of the band very strong on the immensely funky Cyanide.

Formed by vocalist Severin Sailer, guitarist Philipp Tenberken, drummer Bastian Gölz, and bassist Valentin Noack, Avralize are right at the forefront of the 'core' scene this is what is expected of a band in the metalcore genre today. Brimming with electronic elements, heavy breakdowns and some epic, emotive vocals, Liminal is metal in 2025. 8/10

Smash Into Pieces - ArmaHeaven (Self Released)

Swedish alt rock band Smash Into Pieces play music for those who like a lot a pop in their rock. Cinematic, conceptual music that's all part of an overarching dystopian cyberpunk storyline and delivered with a myriad of pulsating synths meeting the standard guitars, modern alt rock with a few 'core' edges then.

The band have been gaining quite a following with their ambitious but accessible music, it's even led them to the Melodifestivalen final twice where they were performing for a chance to represent Sweden at Eurovision. That's really all you need to know about the band to be honest, they play bouncy, emotionally charged metal which also features guests in the shape of Elize Ryd (Amaranthe), Swedish singer Liamoo and Swedish/Japanese performer LiLiCo. 

At 15 tracks it's a pretty weighty record to get you ears around and there does seem to be a few too many ballads here but with being a band with a strong pop sound they are aiming for radio play so ballads often do better as singles.

Riight in the most contemporary side of the metal/rock sphere, Smash Into Pieces deliver more of their signature sound with ArmaHeaven. 7/10